Azacitidine + Venetoclax for Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Recruiting at 6 trial locations

Overseen By Eytan Stein, MD

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Phase 2

Sponsor: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Must not be taking: Venetoclax

Disqualifiers: APL, Blast crisis, Infections, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Prior Safety Data This treatment has passed at least one previous human trial

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 4

Duration: 4 weeks

30 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

The purpose of this study is to find out if azacitidine and venetoclax are an effective treatment approach to get rid of or lower measurable residual disease (MRD) in people with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who have received standard chemotherapy and are planning to have an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). Allogeneic HSCT, sometimes called a bone marrow transplant, involves receiving healthy blood-forming cells (stem cells) from a donor in order to replace the patient's immune system and lower the chances of the disease returning (relapse).

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify if you need to stop taking your current medications. It's best to discuss this with the trial team or your doctor.

What data supports the effectiveness of the drug combination Azacitidine and Venetoclax for treating acute myeloid leukemia?

Research shows that the combination of Azacitidine and Venetoclax improves remission rates and survival in older or unfit patients with acute myeloid leukemia compared to Azacitidine alone. Additionally, a large trial found that this combination significantly prolonged overall survival in patients who could not undergo intensive chemotherapy. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is the combination of Azacitidine and Venetoclax safe for treating acute myeloid leukemia?

The combination of Azacitidine and Venetoclax has been studied for safety in patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Some studies found that reducing the dose of Venetoclax can help manage therapy-related side effects, and higher doses were generally well tolerated. However, dose adjustments are often needed due to potential toxicity. ^{4 6 7 8 9}

How is the drug combination of Azacitidine and Venetoclax unique for treating acute myeloid leukemia?

The combination of Azacitidine and Venetoclax is unique because it is specifically used for older or unfit patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia who are ineligible for intensive chemotherapy, offering improved remission rates and survival compared to Azacitidine alone. ^{1 2 3 4 10}

Research Team

Eytan Stein, MD

Principal Investigator

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for individuals with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) who've had standard chemotherapy and are candidates for a stem cell transplant. It's aimed at reducing residual leukemia cells to prevent relapse.

Inclusion Criteria

I have been diagnosed with a specific type of leukemia (AML) that was not caused by another cancer treatment.

Patient is willing and able to adhere to the study visit schedule and other protocol requirements.

I have completed 2 rounds of strong chemotherapy.

Exclusion Criteria

Patient has mechanical heart valve.

I have a condition that affects my ability to swallow or absorb pills.

My condition is an advanced stage of chronic myeloid leukemia.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive Azacitidine and Venetoclax to reduce measurable residual disease (MRD) in AML patients

4 weeks

4 visits (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment, including MRD status assessment

1 year

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Azacitidine
• Venetoclax

Trial Overview The study tests the combination of two drugs, Azacitidine and Venetoclax, to see if they can effectively reduce or eliminate remaining leukemia cells in AML patients before undergoing a bone marrow transplant.

Participant Groups

Group I: Azacitidine and Venetoclax Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Cycle length: 28 days Azacitidine 75 mg/m2 daily, on days 1-7, given IV or SC (generally given IV in our institution) Venetoclax 400 mg orally daily on days 1-28

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,998

Recruited

602,000+

Findings from Research

In a phase II study involving 60 older or unfit patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the combination of venetoclax with cladribine and low-dose cytarabine alternating with venetoclax and 5-azacitidine resulted in a high composite complete response rate of 93%.

The treatment showed promising overall survival and disease-free survival rates, with only one death occurring within 4 weeks, indicating that this regimen is effective and has a favorable safety profile for this patient population.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Phase II Study of Venetoclax Added to Cladribine Plus Low-Dose Cytarabine Alternating With 5-Azacitidine in Older Patients With Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Kadia, TM., Reville, PK., Wang, X., et al.[2023]

In a Japanese subgroup of the phase 3 VIALE-A trial, venetoclax-azacitidine significantly improved overall survival rates compared to placebo-azacitidine, with 67% of patients alive at 12 months versus 46% in the placebo group.

The treatment also resulted in a high complete response (CR) and CR with incomplete hematologic recovery (CRi) rate of 67%, while maintaining a safety profile similar to the global study, indicating it is a viable first-line treatment for Japanese patients with acute myeloid leukemia ineligible for intensive chemotherapy.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Venetoclax plus azacitidine in Japanese patients with untreated acute myeloid leukemia ineligible for intensive chemotherapy. Yamamoto, K., Shinagawa, A., DiNardo, CD., et al.[2023]

In patients with newly diagnosed unfit acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the combination of azacitidine and venetoclax is a standard first-line treatment.

However, patients with TP53-mutated AML and poor-risk cytogenetics do not benefit from adding venetoclax to azacitidine, suggesting that alternative treatment regimens should be considered for these individuals.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

TP53 or Not TP53: That Is the Question. Green, SD., Zeidner, JF.[2023]

In a phase 1/2 study involving six Japanese patients aged 60 and older with acute myeloid leukaemia, the combination of venetoclax and azacitidine demonstrated a high response rate, with 83% of patients achieving a response, including three complete remissions.

The treatment was generally well tolerated, with a median overall survival of 15.7 months, although some patients experienced serious adverse events, including grade 3 fungal pneumonia, which required treatment adjustments.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Venetoclax in combination with azacitidine in Japanese patients with acute myeloid leukaemia: phase 1 trial findings. Taniguchi, S., Yamauchi, T., Choi, I., et al.[2021]

In a study of 20 elderly patients with relapsed refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the combination of azacytidine and venetoclax showed a total treatment efficiency of 90%, significantly higher than the 40% efficiency observed with azacytidine alone.

The combination treatment improved hematological parameters, such as platelet and white blood cell counts, while maintaining a similar safety profile to azacytidine alone, indicating it is a promising option for enhancing treatment efficacy in this patient population.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Analysis of the Clinical Efficacy of Azacytidine + Venetoclax in the Treatment of Elderly Patients with Relapsed Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Wang, W., Luo, Q., Chen, Q., et al.[2023]

In a study of 6 children with refractory or relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the combination of venetoclax, azacitidine, and cladribine (VAC regimen) resulted in significant treatment responses, with 4 achieving complete remission and 1 showing partial remission.

Despite severe side effects like grade IV neutropenia and thrombocytopenia, there were no treatment-related deaths or infections, indicating that the VAC regimen is both effective and safe for this vulnerable patient group.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Safety and the Short-Term Efficacy of Venetoclax Combined with Azacitidine Followed by Cladribine in Children with Refractory/Relapsed Acute Myeloid Leukemia]. DU, WW., Liu, SX., Wang, Y., et al.[2023]

A lower dosage of Venetoclax (100 mg) combined with Azacitidine showed favorable outcomes in newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients, with a median overall survival of 17 months and an overall response rate of 69.4% based on a study of 36 patients.

The study suggests that even with dose reductions of Venetoclax, the combination therapy remains effective, indicating a potential strategy to manage therapy-related toxicity while still achieving significant treatment responses.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Reduced duration and dosage of venetoclax is efficient in newly diagnosed patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Cui, J., Chen, X., Li, C., et al.[2023]

In the HiDDAV study involving 42 newly diagnosed AML patients, higher doses of venetoclax (600 mg daily) were found to be tolerable but did not show significant clinical improvement compared to the standard 400 mg dose.

The study revealed that using minimal residual disease (MRD) status to guide the discontinuation of azacitidine did not lead to better outcomes in terms of duration of response or overall survival, suggesting that alternative strategies are needed to optimize treatment regimens.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Higher-dose venetoclax with measurable residual disease-guided azacitidine discontinuation in newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia. Gutman, JA., Winters, A., Kent, A., et al.[2023]

In a study of 57 elderly patients (average age 69.9 years) with acute myeloid leukemia, the combination of venetoclax and azacitidine (VEN + AZA) showed a high overall response rate of 87.5% and a complete remission (CR) rate of 68.8%, indicating strong efficacy in this population.

The treatment was associated with a median overall survival (OS) of 11.5 months, and achieving minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity (<0.1%) was more common with VEN + AZA compared to traditional chemotherapy, although older patients (≥75 years) and those with higher ECOG scores faced more challenges in achieving MRD negativity.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Single-institution experience of venetoclax combined with azacitidine in newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia patients. Yu, H., Wang, C., Lei, Y., et al.[2023]

In a study of 13 patients with acute leukemia treated with venetoclax and azacitidine, 46% developed COVID-19, highlighting a significant risk associated with this treatment during the pandemic.

The study found that 33% of those who contracted COVID-19 died from the virus, indicating that COVID-19 can lead to severe outcomes in patients receiving AZA-VEN therapy.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Patients Treated with Azacitidine and Venetoclax for Acute Leukemia: A Report of a Case Series Treated in a Single Institution. Drozd-Sokołowska, J., Mądry, K., Barankiewicz, J., et al.[2023]

References

1. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Phase II Study of Venetoclax Added to Cladribine Plus Low-Dose Cytarabine Alternating With 5-Azacitidine in Older Patients With Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia. [2023]

2. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Venetoclax plus azacitidine in Japanese patients with untreated acute myeloid leukemia ineligible for intensive chemotherapy. [2023]

3. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

TP53 or Not TP53: That Is the Question. [2023]

4. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Venetoclax in combination with azacitidine in Japanese patients with acute myeloid leukaemia: phase 1 trial findings. [2021]

5. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Analysis of the Clinical Efficacy of Azacytidine + Venetoclax in the Treatment of Elderly Patients with Relapsed Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia. [2023]

6. China pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Safety and the Short-Term Efficacy of Venetoclax Combined with Azacitidine Followed by Cladribine in Children with Refractory/Relapsed Acute Myeloid Leukemia]. [2023]

7. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Reduced duration and dosage of venetoclax is efficient in newly diagnosed patients with acute myeloid leukemia. [2023]

8. Italy pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Higher-dose venetoclax with measurable residual disease-guided azacitidine discontinuation in newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia. [2023]

9. Netherlands pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Single-institution experience of venetoclax combined with azacitidine in newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia patients. [2023]

10. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Patients Treated with Azacitidine and Venetoclax for Acute Leukemia: A Report of a Case Series Treated in a Single Institution. [2023]